• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.131-145
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• 2009

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) has become an assisted reproductive technique for couples who are at risk that enables them to have unaffected baby without facing the risk of pregnancy termination after invasive prenatal diagnosis. The molecular biology and technology for single-cell genetics has reached an extremely high level of accuracy, and has enabled the possibility of performing multiple diagnoses on one cell using whole genome amplification. These technological advances have contributed to the avoidance of misdiagnosis in PGD for single gene disorders. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based PGD will lead to a significant increase in the number of disorders diagnosed and will find more widespread use, benefiting many more couples who are at risk of transmitting an inherited disease to their baby. In this review, we will focus on the molecular biological techniques that are currently in use in the most advanced centers for PGD for single gene disorders, including biopsy procedure, multiplex PCR and post-PCR diagnostic methods, and multiple displacement amplification (MDA) and the problems in the single cell genetic analysis.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.731-744
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• 2013

Energy security is a topic of high importance to many countries throughout the world. Countries with access to vast energy supplies enjoy all of the economic and political benefits that come with controlling a highly sought after commodity. Given the desire to diversify away from fossil fuels due to rising environmental and economic concerns, there are limited technology options available for baseload electricity generation. Further complicating this issue is the desire for energy sources to be sustainable and globally scalable in addition to being economic and environmentally benign. Nuclear energy in its current form meets many but not all of these attributes. In order to address these limitations, TerraPower, LLC has developed the Traveling Wave Reactor (TWR) which is a near-term deployable and truly sustainable energy solution that is globally scalable for the indefinite future. The fast neutron spectrum allows up to a ~30-fold gain in fuel utilization efficiency when compared to conventional light water reactors utilizing enriched fuel. When compared to other fast reactors, TWRs represent the lowest cost alternative to enjoy the energy security benefits of an advanced nuclear fuel cycle without the associated proliferation concerns of chemical reprocessing. On a country level, this represents a significant savings in the energy generation infrastructure for several reasons 1) no reprocessing plants need to be built, 2) a reduced number of enrichment plants need to be built, 3) reduced waste production results in a lower repository capacity requirement and reduced waste transportation costs and 4) less uranium ore needs to be mined or purchased since natural or depleted uranium can be used directly as fuel. With advanced technological development and added cost, TWRs are also capable of reusing both their own used fuel and used fuel from LWRs, thereby eliminating the need for enrichment in the longer term and reducing the overall societal waste burden. This paper describes the origins and current status of the TWR development program at TerraPower, LLC. Some of the areas covered include the key TWR design challenges and brief descriptions of TWR-Prototype (TWR-P) reactor. Selected information on the TWR-P core designs are also provided in the areas of neutronic, thermal hydraulic and fuel performance. The TWR-P plant design is also described in such areas as; system design descriptions, mechanical design, and safety performance.

• The Journal of Information Systems
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.233-260
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• 2008

Universities have recognized e-Learning Systems as the critical IT resources which contribute to improving the competitiveness of the universities as well as the quality of the traditional class-based lectures. Instructors deliver the main contents in the class. Other supplementary activities like online discussions, sharing of teaching-learning materials, submission of homeworks, communication among the learners and between the instructors and the learners, and so on can be efficiently facilitated using e-Learning Systems. In other words, e-Learning Systems enable a blended learning combined class-based lectures and e-learning in a variety of ways. Nonetheless, compared to the level of implementation of e-Learning Systems, the usage of both the instructors and the learners is not high. Accordingly, this study examines the determinants to affect on the usage of e-Learning Systems from the learners perspective. To draw the key determinants, we review the IS literatures related to adoption or use of the IS like Media Richness Theory (MRT), Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Social Influence Model (SIM), and Self-efficacy Model. The variables are drawn out to be expected on the usage of e-Learning like Media Richness, Ease of Use from MRT, TAM and Instructor's Influence, Co-learner's Influence from SIM, and Self-efficacy. To test our model and hypotheses, we have collected data in the class-based lectures using e-Learning System complementary. The results of the test with 192 data are as follows: Firstly, it shows that the Instructor's Influence and the Media Richness are the influential determinants to affect on the Perception of Usefulness of e-Learning Systems. Additionally, the Co-learner's Influence and Ease of Use in order is significant to the Perception of Usefulness. Secondly, as to the degree of use of the e-Learning Systems, the Co-leaner's Influence, the Media Richness, and the Ease of Use are, in that order, the significant determinants. The Perception of Usefulness, also, founded a key factor on increasing the use of e-Learning Systems. On the other hand, the Instructor's Influence is not significant to the use of e-Learning Systems. Finally, it has been found that Self-efficacy is significant to the Perception of Media Richness, Ease of Use, but not significant to the Perception of Usefulness.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.73-83
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• 2016

Purpose - The parcel delivery service(courier) industry all over the world has been expanding its market so far, but its growth has been declining in recent years. In this situation, most parcel delivery companies are having trouble with managing themselves because of the pressure from the customer to increase service level and decrease the rate. The purpose of this study is to provide ways to improve competitive advantages of the parcel delivery service industry by evaluating the multi-period operating efficiency of Korea, Japan and global service providers. Research design, data, and methodology - The data for the period of 2011 to 2014 were collected from the annual reports published by parcel delivery companies. In this study, we analyze the marketability (revenue), profitability (operating profits), and management conditions (net profits) of parcel service companies by combining information on human resources (number of employees) and material resources (total assets and equity). Therefore, the number of employees, total assets, and equity are selected as input variables, and revenue, operating profits, and net profits as the output variables. In this study, DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis) is used to measure the comparative efficiency and MPI (Malmquist Productivity Index) is used to analyze the trend of change of the efficiency for a multi-year period. Results - The operational efficiency scores of medium-sized parcel delivery companies in Korea are higher than other larger competitors such as Korean, Japan and Global larger companies. As of 2014, Logen(1.878) was found to be the most efficient parcel delivery enterprise, followed by KGB (1.224), and Kyoungdong(1.002). Otherwise, Hanjin(0.235), CJ(0.262), Hyundai Logistics(0.657), DHL(0.611), UPS(0.766), FedEx(0.498), TNT(0.350), Yamato(0.762) and Sagawa(0.520), larger sized companies, were done inefficiently. The productivity of parcel delivery companies is influenced by endogenous factors as well as exogenous ones such as changes in business environment and technological advances. Conclusions - Korean medium-sized companies have relatively high efficiency scores in operation. That is why they still survive the competitive market in Korea where market restructuring on the industry has been expected to be conducted for many years. The reason why medium-sized couriers had higher efficient scores than larger couriers is that most of couriers spend more operating expenses versus unit price of delivery which is the amount of money that is needed in order to send a package by parcel service. So the delivery unit price must be taken into account by all the expenses associated with the cost of fuel, labor and maintenance expenses for facilities, etc. therefore, the unit price must be increased to strengthen business competitive power. In order for the industry to have more competitive advantage, the companies need to make profits by increasing demand volume and raising the delivery rate to provide high-quality delivery service to customers. And both endogenous and exogenous change must take precedence in order to strengthen their competitiveness.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.87-96
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• 2015

Purpose - Several domestic telecommunication companies have made a considerable effort to continuously grow and survive, and they have strived to thrive in the midst of mature market competition. To overcome this challenging situation and to grow continuously, while still meeting customer needs that are becoming more diverse and complicated with the passage of time, extensive support for internal marketing is essential. Without such internal support, companies face serious limitations and market roadblocks. The communication industry is a high-level service industry and a basic communications industry characteristic is its significant dependence on the employees delivering the services. Therefore, entrepreneurs in the information/communications industry, as well as existing competitors, should look to satisfy external customers through critical investment in internal customers (employees). Therefore, it is important for research to examine how internal factors influence technology innovation and service quality, which are the key drivers for companies that are seeking leading market positions. Research design, data, and methodology - The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship of technology innovation and perceived service quality with the internal marketing factors in the communication industry and to offer suitable and effective internal marketing suggestions. The independent variables of this study are internal communication, education and training, the support of the executives, reward systems, and empowerment. The dependent variables are technology innovation and perceived service quality. Utilizing these, this paper studies the influence of internal marketing factors on technology innovation and perceived service quality. Results - The study results revealed the following. First, the identified internal marketing factors have a positive effect on technology innovation. Among the five internal marketing factors, three had a significant effect on product innovation, empowerment, the support of executives, and education and training, in this order. Second, the internal marketing factors also had a positive effect on the process innovation of technology innovation. The marketing factors, the support of executives, empowerment, internal communication, and education and training, in this order, significantly affect process innovation. Third, technology innovation had a positive effect on perceived service quality. All of the five service quality factors, namely, tangibles, reliability, assurance, responsibility, and empathy, in this order, significantly affect product innovation. Additionally, tangibles, reliability, responsibility, empathy, and assurance, in this order, significantly affect process innovation. Fourth, product and process innovation significantly affect tangibles and reliability in technology innovation. To enhance tangibles and reliability, process innovation should first be enhanced. Fifth, product and process innovation significantly affect responsibility and empathy in technology innovation. To enhance the responsibility and empathy, process innovation should first be enhanced. Sixth, product and process innovation significantly affect assurance in technology innovation. To enhance the assurance, product innovation should first be enhanced. Conclusions - According to the results, a company's internal marketing factors have a positive and significant effect on technology innovation and, further, product and process innovation have a positive and significant effect on the perceived serviced quality.

• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.48
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• pp.1-22
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• 2017

Independent short animation was the expression method for young animation creators through creative and progressive representation. Since the birth of animation, independent short animation has become a driving force for qualitative development and diversification of animation. This has brought many works to the world that emphasize experimentation and challenges in the history of animation and in countries that have the rich animation resources such as France, Japan, and Canada, they recognize its importance and supports young creators in order to maintain the value of it. However, Korean animations are evaluated the quality of works by the popularity of the children, moreover, companies that focus on developing and selling products, including toys, rather than animation works themselves and public awareness that accepts them are formed throughout the Korean animation industry. Because of these points, Korean animation creators can not express the creative vision for the future and philosophical awareness of the problem and they are trapped in commercial animation markets. In order to re-leap and expand the Korean animation industry, which has reached the saturation level with infant animation, it is necessary to reestablish the value of independent short animations with challenging and experimental characteristics and requires the creative environment and support system for the diversity of Korean animation industries, including the achieving commercial goals through good planning, story development and technological innovation. For this purpose, this paper analyzes the current state of production, screening, distribution, and government support of independent short animation in Korea, and explores the structural problems and solutions.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.59-87
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• 2011

These days, firms are focusing on the improvement of relationships with business partners. The supply chain integrations are taking critical role in improving the relationships with business partners. In accordance with the development of the IT technology, it became possible for firms not only to integrate inner parts of the organization, but also to integrate the company with other organizations in the supply chain. Therefore, in e-Biz environments, it is imperative for firms to strengthen the core capacity through the supply chain, and to precisely determine the components of the determinants of e-Business integration which impact the firm performance. This study analyzed determinants that have impacts on e-business integration in e-business capacity perspectives in competitive environments. This study based on the premise that the resources and capacities that Grant(1991) and Hart(1995) emphasized do not directly influence the corporate performance. This study focused on the fact that corporate must create core competencies based on these capacities to establish competitive edge. Therefore, this study model analyzed to find out which e-Biz competencies are needed to integrate e-Biz according to competitive environment elements. This study designed to empirically analyze the impact of the e-Biz competencies to the e-Biz integration and to the corporate performance. Independent variables of this study-IT management, partner management, e-Biz knowledge, e-Biz establishment and proliferation, process innovation-are selected based on precedent studies on e-Biz competencies. We selected intermediate variables to verify that e-Biz competencies do not have direct impact on the corporate performance, but have impact on the e-Biz integration, which is intermediate effect. That is to verify that if the components of supply chain improve the integration level using e-Biz competencies, the overall supply chain performances will improve. Dependent variables are selected to verify that e-Biz integration has impacts on corporate performances. This study used factor analysis, path analysis, moderating effect analysis as statistical tests. First, we used exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis to analyze reliability and validity. Because e-Biz competencies are presented variously by preceding studies, we used SPSS16.0 to verify if survey questionnaire used by theoretical backgrounds is properly composed. Second, we tested the property of structure model by AMOS. We did path analysis using AMOS16.0 to test structure that is composed of e-Biz competencies and e-Biz integration. Last, we tested moderating effects of measure factors. We analyzed 163 domestic companies to find out many significant suggestive points. First, relationship improvement capacity, e-business knowledge sharing capacity with business partners, and process innovation capacity are adopted as determinants of differentiation and competitive edges against competing firms. Second, e-business knowledge sharing capacity, and process innovation capacity are analyzed as the determinants of e-business integration in the firm which demand fluctuation in the market is high. On the other hand, among the determinants that require capturing ideas on new products, and strengthening the technological power, process innovation capacity are adopted as the determinants. These results provide us the foundation that the determinants that we have analyzed can impact the supply chain integration strategies which take into account the competitive environments.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 1998.02a
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• pp.120-120
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• 1998

Boron nitride (BN) films have attracted a growing interest for a variety of t technological applications due to their excellent characteristics, namely hardness, c chemical inertness, and dielectrical behavior, etc. There are two crystalline phases 1551; of BN that are analogous to phases of carbon. Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) has a a layered s$\sigma$ucture which is spz-bonded structure similar to that of graphite, and is t the stable ordered phase at ambient conditions. Cubic boron nitride (c-BN) has a z zinc blende structure with sp3-bonding like as diamond, 따ld is the metastable phase a at ambient conditions. Among of their prototypes, especially 삼Ie c-BN is an i interesting material because it has almost the same hardness and thermal c conductivity as di없nond. C Conventionally, significant progress has been made in the experimental t techniques for synthesizing BN films using various of the physical vapor deposition 밍ld chemical vapor deposition. But, the major disadvantage of c-BN films is that t they are much more difficult to synthesize than h-BN films due to its narrow s stability phase region, high compression stress, and problem of nitrogen source c control. Recent studies of the metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) of I III - V compound have established that a molecular level understanding of the d deposition process is mandatory in controlling the selectivity parameters. This led t to the concept of using a single source organometallic precursor, having the c constituent elements in stoichiometric ratio, for MOCVD growth of 삼Ie required b binary compound. I In this study, therefore, we have been carried out the growth of h-BN thin f films on silicon substrates using a single source precursors. Polycrystalline h-BN t thin films were deposited on silicon in the temperature range of $\alpha$)() - 900 $^{\circ}$C from t the organometallic precursors of Boron-Triethylamine complex, (CZHs)3N:BRJ, and T Tris(dimethylamino)Borane, [CH3}zNhB, by supersonic molecular jet and remote p plasma assisted MOCVD. Hydrogen was used as carrier gas, and additional nitrogen w was supplied by either aDlIDonia through a nozzle, or nitrogen via a remote plasma. T The as-grown films were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, x x-ray pthotoelectron spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, t transmission electron diffraction, optical transmission, and atomic force microscopy.roscopy.

• Journal of Technology Innovation
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.99-128
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• 2011

University-to-industry technology transfer has become an increasingly important issue in recent years. Studies on technology transfer and commercialization evolved to diverse knowledge transfer channels. Among them, university spin-off is not only known as the most direct and tangible method but also suitable for effectively transferring tacit knowledge. Much of the studies on university spin-offs are mostly focused on macro-level but studies using the individual professors as their unit of analysis need better understanding as well. This paper investigates why the speed of university spin-off formations differ among individual professors drawing on the resource-based view. Utilizing data of 149 professors in 25 universities who formed spin-offs, Cox regression results suggest that professors' technological research capabilities, academic research capabilities and financial resources promote university spin-off formations.

• Journal of Technology Innovation
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.1-30
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• 2014

Offset trade has been applied in Republic of Korea's defense acquisition programs since early 1980s and used for national economic development as well as enhancement of military capabilities. The accumulated offset trade value amounts to over 10 billion dollars by 2010. However, questions in regards to the effectiveness of offset trade have been constantly raised. As it is a quite difficult task to analyze and calculate the application performance of defense technologies acquired by offsets objectively, limited level of quantitative analysis of application performance have been conducted so far. Hence, in this paper, we came to understand the overall status of application of those technologies through in-depth performance analysis and suggested some specific policies for the further development of offset trade based on the analysis results. To begin with, we developed a questionnaire based on performance indicator deducted through literature review of relevant researches, and conducted survey of major offset recipients. Also, another survey of offset experts belonged to the army, government organization, research institute and companies was conducted to evaluate the performance and effectiveness of offsets qualitatively. And we analyzed the efficiency of application performance using DEA. The results of all surveys are showing that there is positive accomplishment in the technological aspect, but in economic aspect, it shows relatively inactive outcome. Based on these results, policy direction is considered to be changed from the emphasis on the acquisition of core technology to revitalization of domestic defense industry in line with new government's policy orientation.